Brutopia – 1219 Crescent St.

Montreal is well known for its great restaurants and quite happening bar scene. Brutopia is one of the better known bars in the city. This brew pub has been in business since 1997 and from then has been serving up fresh artisanal beers with no preservatives. They brew their beer on location and offer a selection that changes monthly.

My colleague Dean and I had an opportunity to sample some of their well known beers. I tried the Bon Bleuets which is a seasonal beer. It is a fruity blond ale with blueberry extract and puree. It has a nice light fruit flavour and is a very mild beer for those that prefer that. The Oatmeal Stout is more rich and traditional. It is a bit more bitter but still has a nice flavour. My colleague tried the Extra Blond which is a light ale that has a mild flavour and is less carbonated. He liked the taste and would recommend it for those that don’t like a strong alcohol flavour. He also sampled Brutopia’s most popular beer, the India pale ale. At 5.9% alcohol, this beer is a more traditional British ale and has the kind of flavour you would expect from such a beer. My colleague thought it was a bit strong but said that it has a nice flavour.

Rachelle, the bartender mentioned that Brutopia offers a great special for those that would like to sample a few beers in small quantities. You can get four small glasses for 8$. Pints are 6$ before 8pm and 7$ for the rest of the night. They also offer non alcoholic beers as well for those who prefer that option.

Brutopia also has a nice variety of entrees and burger plates if you would like to enjoy a good meal along with your glass of beer. They’ve got healthy, high quality food on the menu that is competitively priced. The food is made fresh daily. We sampled the delicious samosas, which is an Indian snack stuffed with vegetables and spices served with a tasty and sweet tamarind sauce. It is a mildly spiced dish and a must try. The quesadilla is also a great choice. It is a soft tortilla filled with chipotle chicken and melted cheese, served with a fresh pico de gallo salsa and a serving of sour cream. We thought the chicken was really well seasoned and the dish had a generous amount of cheese.

Their guacamole, a combo of avocado, tomatoes and onions
is delicious as well and is perfect with this dish. Those of you that like the
very popular poutine, Brutopia serves it with well done fries, fresh salty
cheese curds and a vegetarian gravy that I thought was pretty good.

One of their most popular entrees is the Salsiccia, that is made with grilled Italian sausage tossed in a homeade sauce and served with baguette slices. The sausage was well cooked and spiced just right. It was crispy and a generous portion. The bread was grilled perfectly.

They have also expanded their burger menu for those of you that would like to have a meal there. All burgers listed on the menu can be replaced with a veggie patty. Their traditional burgers are made with 100% Angus beef and come with a side order of fries or salad.

Brutopia’s most popular burger is the El Jefe, a combo of brie cheese, bacon, green apple, lettuce and topped with a honey mustard sauce. It is a really good choice. The flavour of the tart green apple goes well with the salty brie cheese and is served on a perfectly toasted brioche style bun. It is a must try. I should also mention that the beef patty was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. Other popular choices are Le Frenchie which is made with mushrooms and caramelised onions, topped with melted brie cheese. They have chicken burgers as well for those of you that prefer that. It is a grilled chicken option so is a healthier type of burger. Vegetarians can opt for the tasty veggie burger that is gluten free and vegan friendly.

For dessert there is only one option on the menu but a popular choice for sure. Churros, are sweet fried pastry dough sticks that are topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a choice of dulce de leche or chocolate sauce. This dessert is lightly sweetened and lightly crispy on the outside. Make sure to try their mild flavoured coffee that goes perfectly with this dessert.

My colleague and I enjoyed the overall Brutopia
experience. It is a great place to relax and have some drinks and good food
with friends.

Another interesting thing about this place is that they
have a small stage and have some bands, stand-up comedy etc. on a regular basis
so make sure to check that out as well.